


Amongst the fire lilies

by BigCityWitch



Series: Zutara month 2017 [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, POV Zuko (Avatar), Zuko was never banished, Zutara Month
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 22:29:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12874377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigCityWitch/pseuds/BigCityWitch
Summary: Whenever Prince Zuko missed his mother he snuck out of the palace to visit a field of her favourite flowers. He wasn't all that pleased to find a dirty girl had chosen it as her sleeping spot. He wondered if she was still alive and nudged her shoulder with the tip of his shoes. One moment later her face was still half asleep, but her body stood perfectly alert in the middle a circle of black flowers, he didn't notice yet. His current focus lay on the thin ice daggers pointing at him, where he lay at her feet.





	Amongst the fire lilies

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first contribution to the Zutara Month ever (and also my first Zutara fanfiction). I have the feeling that Zuko might be slightly OOC, but I couldn't resist giving him these lines ^^ I would be honoured, if you leave your criticism (positive and negative) in the comments ;)  
> Extra cookies for who know Veena :)

When Zuko found a girl on his favourite spot outside the palace, he scrunched his nose at her. Was she really this tan just dirty? And who would sleep in the middle of a fire lilies field? He wondered if she was still alive and nudged her shoulder with the tip of his shoes. Maybe a little bit harder than necessary, because she occupied his spot.  
A tiny brown hand closed around his ankle and yanked him off his feet, while she whirled up and assumed a weird fighting stance. Her face was still half asleep, but her body stood perfectly alert in the middle a circle of black flowers, he didn't notice yet. His current focus lay on the thin ice daggers pointing at him, where he lay at her feet.  
This was officially the second scariest girl he ever met. She blinked and seemed to really notice him for the first time.  
"Who are you and why did you kick me?"  
No answer.  
He was busy staring up at her big blue eyes. No one he knew had eyes like this, they looked like the ocean. Tearing his eyes from hers he noticed a lot about her that was completely different from everyone else. Her curly dark hair, her probably tan skin and... oh the ice daggers at her command.  
"...I... Uhm, who are you?"  
"Not how it works, rude boy. You kicked me, you lie at my feet, you answer my questions."  
This wasn't right. He was the prince, people should show him respect. He wasn't supposed to lie on the ground being stared down by a peasant answering their questions. The moment he decided to fight back one of the daggers shot by right next to his ear, close enough to feel its cold.  
"Don't test my patience, I don't like being woken up rudely."  
"Can't you tell from my godforsaken scar?"  
"Another freedom fighter?"  
He scowled at her at the accusation. Who was she not to know him? Everyone knew him through his scar even if he didn't wear his royal robes, thus the hood, which currently lay useless beneath his head.  
"I am Prince Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai and Lady Ursa, heir to the throne"  
It didn't have the desired effect. Instead of realizing her mistake and showing him the due respect, she threw her head back and laughed.  
"Yes, of course, and I am Veena the goddess of war"  
"I am Zuko!"  
"So you're saying, that Prince Zuko is wandering around in commoners cloth, randomly kicking sleeping people and being bested by a girl in her sleep? Well, don't let the real Prince hear that I'm sure that counts as defamation. Anyway, why did you kick me?"  
"You didn't best me! You fought unfair! I wasn't sure if you were still alive, so I nudged you"  
"I was just quicker than you. I beat you, fair and square. And I am very alive, thank you"  
He must have convinced her, that he wasn't going to hurt her since the ice daggers melt and the water sloshed around and on him. She surveyed their surroundings and he followed her gaze, taking in the dead flowers around them.  
"Are you sure you're a goddess of war and not a goddess of calamity?"  
"Oh shut up, Prince of mud. Is there food in your basket? If you share, I'll consider forgiving you for scaring me into dehydrating these poor flowers"  
That was a pretty twisted way of putting things, but he had too much food anyway. At least that was the reason he told himself. He was certainly not fascinated by the stranger.  
"So what are you doing here sleeping outside, Veena?"  
"Travelling. A goddess of war has to be around when the war is on. So why are you wandering around outside of the palace in commoners cloth?"  
"Well, I wanted to visit the nicest fire lily field we have in the capital and leave the palace and its strict rules behind for one evening."  
"Sorry, about the flowers, but at least you managed to get free of the palace rules"  
"Yeah, sharing dinner with a goddess without table manners certainly beats eating alone there"  
She blushed a little and he considered it worth playing along.  
"I'm a goddess of war. I don't need royal table manners."  
They ate mostly in companionable silence, occasionally broken by her complimenting him on the food, though most of it was too hot for her. After the basket was empty they chatted a little about this and that. It was quite nice to be able to talk honestly with her because she thought he was making the stories up on the go.  
So he ended up telling her about his mothers love for the turtle-ducks and cruel schemes of his sister. In turn, she told him about her encounter with the freedom fighters and obviously she had stolen some food the last day and got into a fight about it.  
She looked pretty thin, no wonder she had passed out on the floor after fighting and running for half a day. Maybe he should come more often and share dinner with her.  
It was a strange thought. He had never cared for someone in this way. If someone had a problem, they should see to solve it themselves.  
Their chitchat went on late into the night until his legs had gone dead and the moon was up.  
"I should go back, raising with the sun means early nights."  
"Don't let the guards catch you sneaking back in"  
"It was nice to meet you, Veena"  
"Was nice to meet you, too, Zuko and thanks for the food. It was the best meal I had in weeks"  
"You're welcome. One has to honour the gods, am I right?"  
Her laughter filled his heart. When had been the last time, someone had laughed so freely around him?  
"Sure thing. If you ever want to share a meal with a god again, you're welcome"  
Her tone was light-hearted, but her eyes betrayed a slight nervousness. Was this a date? And if it was, would he want to go?  
"Will you be here tomorrow at dusk again?"  
"It's arrangeable"  
She beamed at him and he still felt a little fuzzy, when he crawled into his bed.


End file.
